Dimorphotheca plant named ‘Purple Blush’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Dimorphotheca plant named ‘Purple Blush’, characterized by its upright and mounding growth habit; dark green leaves; freely branching habit; white ray florets with purple bases which gives the appearance of a purple ring at the center of the inflorescence; numerous inflorescences per plant; and relative tolerance to high temperatures.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofDimorphotheca plant, botanically known as Dimorphotheca aurantiaca, andreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Purple Blush’.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Emerald, Victoria, Australia. The objective of thebreeding program was to create new Dimorphotheca cultivars with largeinflorescences and attractive ray floret colors.

The new cultivar originated from a cross made by the Inventor of aproprietary selection of Dimorphotheca aurantiaca identified as code No.92/18 as the female, or seed, parent and a proprietary selection ofDimorphotheca aurantiaca identified as code No. 93/94, as the mole, orpollen, parent. The new Dimorphotheca was selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant within the progeny of this cross in a controlledenvironment in Emerald, Victoria, Australia in 1995.

Plants of the new cultivar are different from plants of the femaleparent, the selection 92/18 in leaf size, ray floret color andinflorescence size. Plants of the new Dimorphotheca are larger and havenarrower ray florets than plants of the male parent, the selection93/94. In addition, plants of the new Dimorphotheca have purple-coloredray floret bases whereas plants of both parent selections do not havepurple-colored ray floret bases.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings at Emerald,Victoria, Australia, has shown that the unique features of this newDimorphotheca are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characterictics of ‘Purple Blush’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Purple Blush’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. Upright and mounding growth habit.

2. Dark green leaves.

3. Freely branching habit.

4. White ray florets with purple bases which gives the appearance of apurple ring at the center of the inflorescence.

5. Numerous inflorescences per plant.

6. Relative tolerance to high temperatures.

The cultivar ‘Purple Blush’ has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Dimorphotheca.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Purple Blush’.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of atypical inflorescence bud, typical opening inflorescence, typical openedinflorescence, and upper and lower surfaces of typical leaves of ‘PurpleBlush’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe 25-cmcontainers with three plants of the new cultivar grown for about nine toeleven weeks in Bonsall, Calif., under outdoor, full-sun conditions withday temperatures ranging from 21 to 35° C. and night temperaturesranging from 13 to 18° C.

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

Botanical classification: Dimorphotheca aurantiaca cultivar ‘PurpleBlush’.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Dimorphothecaaurantiaca identified as code No. 92/18.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Dimorphothecaaurantiaca identified as code No. 93/94.

Propagation:

Type.—By terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 12 to 18 days at 21° C.

Time to develop roots.—About 10 to 15 days at 21° C.

Root description.—Thick, fleshy and freely branching.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous container and garden plant. Upright andmounding growth habit; inverted triangle. Dark green foliage.Inflorescences held above and beyond the foliage on long peduncles.Freely branching with about 10 to 14 lateral branches; removal ofterminaL apices (pinching) will enhance branching.

Crop time.—About 9 to 11 weeks are required to produce a finished,flowering plant in a 10-cm container.

Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 34 cm.

Plant spread.—About 24 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 32 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.Internode length: About 1 cm. Texture: Glabrous; stems thick andsomewhat succulent. Color: 145A.

Foliage description.—Leaves alternate, single. Quantity of leaves perlateral branch: About 18. Length, fully expanded leaves, basal: About8.5 cm. Width, fully expanded leaves, basal: About 2 cm. Shape:Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Attentuate, sessile. Margin: Entire withirregularly-spaced teeth. Aspect: Mostly flat.

Texture.—Leathery and tough; slightly coarse; glandular; thick cuticle.Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 137A. Young foliage, lower surface:137B. Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Slightly darker than 137A.Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137B. Attentuated leaf base: 144Ato 144B. Venation, upper surface: 138B. Venation, under surface: 138B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance/longevity.—Daisy-type composite inflorescence form.Inflorescences displayed above and beyond foliage on long pedunclesarising from leaf axils. Disc and Ray florets arranged acropetally on acapitulum. Typically about four buds and opened inflorescences perlateral stem. Inflorescences last about one week on the plant.Inflorescences persistent.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuosly from April to October inthe Northern Hemisphere,.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 6 cm. Depth (height): About 1.3 cm.Diameter of disc: About 1.3 cm.

Inflorescence buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm. Shape:Pointed ovoid. Color: 144A.

Ray florets.—Quantity of ray florets per inflorescence: About 14 in asingle whorl. Length: About 3 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape: Ligulate,elongated oblong. Apex: Slightly tri-dentate. Base: Acute. Margin:Entire. Aspect: Initially, slightly tilted upright; with development,somewhat reflexed. Texture: Smooth, satiny. Color: When opening, uppersurface: 155D. When opening, lower surface, Longitudinal stripes,center, 138B; at margins, 144D and 142C; towards apex, 145A. Fullyopened, upper surface: 155D; base, 70A. Fully opened, under surface:Longitudinal stripes, center, 138C to 138D; at margins, 144D.

Disc florets.—Quantity of disc florets per inflorescence: About 64.Shape: Tubular; five-lobed, fluted at apex. Length: About 8 mm. Width:About 3 mm at apex; about 1 mm at base, Color: Immature: 157B; apex,145B. Mature: 157B.

Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence and arrangement: About 13 perinflorescence; single whort, fused at base. Length: About 1.2 cm. Shape:Elliptic. Apex: Sharply acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Slightly coarse.Color: Upper surface: 143A. Lower surface: 138A.

Peduncle.—Length: About 10.5 cm. Aspect: Moderately strong, erect toalmost perpendicular to the vertical axis of the plant; inflorescencesheld above and beyond the foliage. Texture: Coarse; slightly pubescentand glandular. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Stamens:Five. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther size: About 2 mm. Anther color: 14Atipped with 79A. Pollen: Scarce to moderate. Pollen color: 14A.Gynoecium: Present on ray and disc florets. Pistils: One per floret.Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bipartite. Stigma color: 83A.Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: 155D. Ovary color: 145D.

Seed.—Seed production has not been observed to date.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Dimorphotheca hasnot been observed on plants of the new Dimorphotheca.

High temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Dimorphotheca have beenobserved to be relatively tolerant to high temperatures.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dimorphotheca plantnamed ‘Purple Blush’, as illustrated and described.